Punjab among top states: AAP silent, Captain & Congress leaders flay Delhi model

JALANDHAR: A day after the release of Performance Grading Index 2020-21 by the Union education ministry, in which Punjab was ranked among top three states in school education while Delhi lagged behind, the Punjab government on Friday remained silent.
Opposition leaders on the other hand, took digs at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s much-touted Delhi model and also questioned AAP’s Punjab government’s silence.
This is the second performance index in a row in which Punjab has topped. The state topped the index in 2019-20 also, results of which came out in June last year.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh, whose government backed the reforms anchored by then education secretary Krishan Kumar and improved education infrastructure drastically within three years, has hailed the results in the index. Under the Congress government in Punjab, the state’s ranking rose from 22 in 2017-18 to first in 2019-20.
Reacting to the index, Amarinder on Friday tweeted: “This is what actual education reforms look like! My govt raised the level of education to the point that Punjab has once again topped the National Performance Grading Index 2020-21 for the 2nd year in a row. Hope Bhagwant Mann will congratulate our teachers and the entire education department under the leadership of Krishan Kumar for this feat and will focus on keeping this momentum going instead of insulting our school system to make his Delhi bosses happy.”
Referring to the results, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa tweeted: “Much-hyped Delhi education model of @AAPPunjab government and @AAPDelhi government has got another setback.”
Former education minister Pargat Singh tweeted: “Punjab has once again topped the nation in school education. AAP’s much advertised ‘Delhi model’ continues to lag behind. However, Punjab AAP government, instead of lauding this achievement of our students, teachers and local communities, is keeping mum in fear of its Delhi masters.”
Former education minister Daljit Singh Cheema, in a statement, pointed out that in all independent surveys, Punjab was ahead of Delhi, but Mann and his education minister were not even congratulating teachers and students of Punjab, as they feared it would expose Kejriwal’s Delhi model. He urged them to congratulate teachers and students this time.
After Punjab topped in National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021, results of which were released in May this year, education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer had said this was based on fudged figures and around a month later, chief minister Bhagwant Mann called NAS ‘fake’. They drew criticism for their remarks. Delhi deputy CM and education minister Manish Sisodia had dismissed PG Index of 2020, stating it was result of a secret friendship between Amarinder and PM Narendra Modi.
Bajwa also criticised Arvind Kejriwal and AAP workers for misbehaving with Punjab teachers in Solan on Thursday. “ETT and TET teachers were only raising slogans against Kejriwal and CM Mann for their failure to give them permanent jobs which they had promised during the time of assembly polls in February. Teachers were protesting democratically without indulging in any physical violence,” said Bajwa.